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In doing so, the creatures help transfer carbon that has been removed from the atmosphere.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
And given their abundance in other parts of the world, these organisms likely play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle. When it comes to the flow of carbon in the ocean, “we don\u2019t know nearly as much as we should,\u201d said Kakani Katija, a principal engineer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and the study\u2019s lead author.<\/p>\n
Carbon in the ocean<\/h2>\n
“If we really want to understand how the system works, we have to look at all the players involved. Giant larvaceans are one important group we need to learn more about.\u201d In the past, other scientists have tried studying giant larvaceans in the laboratory. But these efforts always failed because the animals\u2019 houses were too fragile to be harvested and collected specimens were never able to build houses outside the ocean.<\/p>\n
Zooplankton<\/h3>\n
To study the zooplankton in their natural habitat, Dr. Katija and her collaborators developed a new deep-sea imaging instrument, called DeepPIV, which they paired with a remotely operated vehicle. DeepPIV projects a sheet of laser light<\/strong> that cuts straight through a larvacean\u2019s mucus house.
\nA high-definition camera on the remotely operated vehicle can then capture the inner pumping mechanisms illuminated by the laser.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n\nSwimming hundreds of feet beneath the ocean\u2019s surface in many parts of the world are prolific architects called giant larvaceans. These zooplankton are not particularly giant themselves (they resemble tadpoles and are about the size of a pinkie finger), but…\n<\/div>\n